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Mycomax, paragon shrieker
Mycomax CR 16 Homothallic shrieker 3 TN Medium plant Init -5; Senses Listen +15, Spot +15 Languages Signal shriek ----- AC 29, touch 24, flat-footed 29 (+5 natural, +12 insight, +12 luck) hp 87 (3d8+27+36 HD), fast healing 20; DR 10/epic Resist Immunity to mind-affecting effects, sleep effects, poison, paralysis, polymorph, stunning and critical hits; fire resistance 10, cold resistance 10; SR 31 Fort +22, Ref --, Will +13 Weakness Shrieker traits ----- Spd 0 ft. (0 squares) Base Atk +2; Grp +2 Space 5 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Atk Options Shriek Spell-like Abilities (CL 15): greater dispel magic, haste, and see invsibility 3/day ----- Abilities Str --, Dex --, Con 28, Int --, Wis 17, Cha 16 SQ Low-light vision Feats Alertness Skills +10 competence bonus on all skill checks Treasure Standard Shriek: Whenever Mycomax detects movement or a light source within 10 feet, it emits a piercing shriek for 1d3 rounds that attracts any creatures disposed to investigate it (especially violet fungi). This shriek is even louder than that of the usual shrieker; anyone making a listen check to hear Mycomax's shriek is granted a +13 insight bonus on the roll. Personality and Notes Not far from one dwarven settlement lives a colony of spores and fungi, filled with the standard subterranean slime molds and mushrooms as well as more exotic and dangerous violet fungi. In the center of this collection stands one six-foot, vibrantly violet and indefinably imposing shrieker. In the interests of general safety, several attempts have been made to clear out the fungi nest. But no matter if they use alchemical toxins, fire, acid or brute force, that one shrieker has always remained, towering over the remains of its colony, an anchor for the fungi to eventually grow back around it. Finally, after giving up the colony as unbeatable and resigning to give it a wide berth from then on, an intellectual of the settlement dabbling in botany gave the indomitable shrieker its name: Mycomax. Mycomax is living proof that even the weakest of creatures can be a paragon of their race - though even this may not exactly make them a terror to behold. Mycomax still has no attacks, though its fast healing, damage reduction and spell resistance may still make it hard to kill for a low-level party. Mycomax exists as an intellectual exercise in purely by-the-book applications of the Paragon template, and perhaps as an interesting sight for your PCs. Mycomax is unable to attack opponents (though see Variants, below) but a large number of violet fungi have naturally settled in its immediate and general vicinity, alerted by its cacophonous shrieking and able to close in while an adventurer ineffectually hacks away at its damage and spell resistance; the treasure it awards is no doubt the remains of previous overconfident adventurers. Regardless, it is nowhere near the CR 16 that the Paragon template awards it; any 16th level adventurer will be able to kill it with ease and with no fear of reprisal after eliminating the approaching violet fungi. Because Mycomax is incapable of defending itself, DMs should not award experience for killing it - only the violet fungi by which it is accompanied. Plot Hooks Sampling: A researcher has heard of the mighty fungus and wants a sample of Mycomax's spores. Said researcher has hired the PCs to do so, who must navigate through the throngs of overeager violet fungi to get at Mycomax (though Mycomax itself will be able to do nothing but shriek into the PC's ears and maybe dispel their enchantments). Variants Some DMs may want Mycomax to be a competent opponent on the basis of being a paragon for its race, even if said race is characterized by its helplessness. DM's so inclined may allow Mycomax to use Shout as an at-will spell-like ability and Greater Shout as a spell-like ability three times per day, at caster level 15. Category:PlantCategory:CR 16Category:Humorous